Congress says Modi is 'dagaabaaz' while PM says the party is 'hawalabaaz'

The verbal slugfest had been triggered after Sonia Gandhi in her address at the CWC meeting referred to PM Modi's loud assertions as 'hawabaazi' (empty boasting)

Stung by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's barb describing the Congress as "hawalabaaz" (scamsters), an angry Opposition Congress hit right back terming Modi as "dagaabaaz" (betrayer). Congress Communication chief Randeep Surjewala said, "The country will judge who is "hawabaaz" (one who does empty talk) and who is "asli dagabaaz" (a betrayer)." The verbal slugfest had been triggered after Congress President in her address at the Congress Working Committee meeting referred to PM Modi's loud assertions as nothing but "hawabaazi" (empty boasting).

The PM while attacking the Congress as "hawalabaaz" (scamsters) were seeking answers from him even as his government was going about its work plugging leakages in schemes and bringing prosperity to the country. Modi went onto further allege that the "scamsters are unnerved" due to his government cracking down on black money and were putting 'roadblocks' in its pursuit of the reforms agenda, hitting out at the Congress roadblock to the GST bill.

Surjewala advised the PM not to stoop so low in order to target his detractors lest it damage his image in the eyes of the people.

Asserting the reasons for ascribing the moniker 'dagabaaz', the Congress spokesperson listed out the several occasions when Modi had made promises only to later betray them. Surjewala said Modi had promised before the Lok Sabha polls that the government will deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account from the black money brought back from abroad- the BJP President Amit Shah later dismissed it as "chunaavi jumla" (poll rhetoric).

Again, Surjewala said had assured farmers they would get 50 per cent profit over the cost of their produce but their plight was only aggravated with several resorting to suicide. "So it is for the people to judge who is 'asli dagabaaz' (real betrayer)," he said.

"Even on the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) for ex-servicemen issue, while the war veterans have been agitating for the past 90 days, Prime Minister Modi's government chose to announce its scheme just as the Bihar polls were to be announced," he added.

Reiterating his party President Sonia Gandhi's charge against Modi, Surjewala said the slogans of "good governace" and "ease of doing business" were "hawabaazi" as the state of the economy was deteriorating every day.

As for instances of hawala money laundering, Surjewala said, the Pm should know the biggest cases have been reported from his home state Gujarat and being the former CM of that state, his government had done nothing to tackle it.